Father arrested after infant dies in hot car

DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO) -– A father has been charged after police say his infant son died due to being left in a hot car unattended for an extended period of time on Saturday.

At approximately 7:45 p.m., Des Moines police responded to Broadlawns Hospital to investigate a report of a suspicious child death. Upon arrival, officers learned that a 6-month-old infant had died after allegedly being left alone in a parked vehicle.

Authorities determined the death occurred at a barbershop located at 501 Euclid Avenue.

Witness interviews indicate that Lance Williams Sr., 35, left his infant son unattended in a hot vehicle while he went inside the barbershop for an extended period of time, according to police.

Williams was arrested and charged with child endangerment resulting in death. He is currently in Polk County Jail.

"It's a difficult thing for our investigators to investigate, any child death is gut wrenching," Des Moines Police Sgt. Paul Parizek said. "The thing that is frustrating about these is that in all these cases we often find that the parent can remember to grab their cell phone or their purse, but they forget to grab their child. It can be hard to wrap your brain around that."